Monthly Archives: July 2007

Display Tabs Missing In Windows XP (NOT via POLICY)

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Got a Windows XP Machine? Got missing Display Tabs? Tried all the other fixes that tell you to fudge with system policy settings in the registry?

Try this:

Here’s some words to help search engines find this. Missing display tabs. Display tabs missing. Not policy. Policy didn’t work. Changing the registry doesn’t work. Tabs are really small. Tabs are invisible. Invisible tabs. I can still click on the tabs, but they are really small, almost invisible.

Fix missing services & Active Directory / Remote Desktop / Network Printer Missing

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It’s a two-fer today.

First off,  if you have a Windows XP machine (2k variants, too probably) that has a completely missing, yet normally present system service, lets say like, Windows Audio, you can fix it fairly easily by "grafting" it back in from another computer.

  • Find another computer with the same version of XP/2k/2k3/Vista
  • On that computer, Run regedit
  • go to HKLM/System/CurrentControlSet/Services
  • Find the system service on the good one that is missing on the broken one
  • Right click it’s key and extract it somewheres
  • Take the resulting .reg file to the broken machine and import it
  • Reboot the broken machine
  • Fixed!!

And now, part 2! This is a weird thing, and I will try to explain it in a way that helps people find this online in the future. If:

  • You have an Active Directory Domain
  • A Terminal Services server users log into (or a Domain Controller using the 2 remote administration consoles)
  • Users at a physically different location
  • A printer mapped on the Terminal Services server OVER THE LOCAL NETWORK
  • This mapped printer is physically attached to another computer in the same network as the Terminal Services machine
  • AND for some reason Terminal Services users cannot even SEE the printer when logged in via RDP/Remote Desktop

This occurs, usually, because the computer to which the printer is attached does not give Domain Users rights to print to it. Yeah, I know, I thought the server would override local workstation security, but it apparently does not.

  • Go physically to the computer where the printer is connected
  • Go into the printer properties
  • Hit the Security Tab
  • Add Domain Users and give them "Print" control.
  • Apply, OK
  • Fixed.

Kitchen Floor

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Warning: Rule Breaking Boring Daily Life Post – For My Amusement Only

I am having my kitchen floor replaced today. We spent the last couple of weeks preparing the floor for replacement, and boy has it been an adventure. We had to remove everything from the room, cut up 2 layers of old lineoleum, remove a billion year old layer of Masonite, lay down a new layer of lauan plywood, epoxy the seams and nail heads and then have the professionals install the new Vinyl floor. Unforseen issues include: Masonite underneath drywall at edges of room, water feed for icemaker snapped off (water was off!), hardwood floor underneath (except for 2 patches) actually looked salvagable.

Then, we decided that the old stove sucks ba**s and needed to be replaced, so we went to Lowes and ordered a new one.

All in all, it cost less than $1000 to do, (stove included) and the kitchen will look really nice when done. As I look at the vinyl now around the corner as they lay it, I can say that I am satisfied with the design I picked. It really looks nice. Stove comes Saturday.